The Vault

By Anthony Marini

This book , The Vault by Anthony Marini with Kenny Lee is an explosive account of the rise of one of the most successful and controversial clubs in New York City history , and the person responsible for making it all happen. It's not just a story about celebrities and their secret lives but goes deep into police corruption, political corruption , the evolution of the down town New York club scene and the mob involvement in it all !

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Dec 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9781667803401

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

Everyone has at least one good book in them. I think that you’ll find I do my part to validate this age-old adage and also favorite quote of an old friend. (I hope you’re doing well, wherever you are, Blowman.) For the past 20 years, my life has had numerous bizarre moments, to say the least. These unexpected twists and turns have shaped and sometimes warped my understanding of the human experience. These adventures, funny at times and unnerving at others, have taken me places that would’ve blown my parents’ minds. Who would’ve thought that a sweet Catholic boy from the Bronx that Father Ritter never even propositioned, would one day take over the infamous, trendy S&M club, The Vault.

The controversial New York City hotspot was notorious for being the adult playground for public displays of wild sexual fantasies where many affluent clientele and A-list celebrities came to play. You may be wondering how it all happened. As I take you through the surprising developments that led me into the extraordinary world of S&M, you will be shocked and amazed by the stories I will share with you of my experiences along the way.

CHAPTER 1

ANTHONY MARINI

GROWING UP MARINI

As the only child of Philip Marini and Florence Riso, I grew up in a strict Catholic family in the Bronx. My father was a successful commercial artist, who specialized in portraits for the last forty years of his life. My father had a very fascinating career. How many of your dads got to constantly work with celebrities? He worked with Andy Warhol in the late 50s and early 60s when they co-owned a company called Art Department, located at 342 Madison Avenue in New York City.

Several years later, my father secured a contract with the famous toy company, Milton Bradley and for the next ten years designed the covers of such famous games as Toss Across, Candy Land and Mouse Trap. (Dad, you could’ve really used a Lizzie Grubman and gotten us some nice royalty checks). He then began drawing romance novel covers, specifically the Harlequin and Silhouette additions. My father also painted portraits on the side and his portfolio included celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, John Wayne as well as many other rich and powerful people in the private sector.

My mother was the quintessential homemaker, taking care of the household and spending all of my father’s money. (She literally did. Mom, I love you. May you rest in peace). She was a wonderful woman, and as a child I spent all my time with her. She was responsible for keeping me in school and out of trouble.

I attended strict Catholic schools my entire life starting with Saint Mary’s Parochial School in the Bronx and later attending Mount Saint Michael High School in Mt. Vernon. At that time, Mt. Vernon seemed to be a haven to many up and coming artists: Sean Combs, Run DMC"s Darryl McDaniel, Heavy D and Denzel Washington, just to name a few. I enjoyed my neighborhood and my friends and was completely unaware of the special talent I was living among.

COLLEGE AND BEYOND

Following high school, I attended Manhattan College in Riverdale, New York and graduated with a degree in marketing and finance. I accepted a position with an upscale advertising agency in the city shortly after graduating. In my first two weeks, I realized that the corporate world was not where I belonged. In my mind, my parents didn’t spend 75 grand so that I could be a glorified copy and coffee delivery boy. I felt suffocated and did not want to conform. I hated the politics and didn’t want to play the game. I wanted to be in charge of my day and answer to myself.

THE ADULT ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

After several years of working as a manager in the massage industry, my partner and I decided to open up a high-end escort service. At the time, this was a great industry to make a lot of money quickly. Unfortunately, in the escort business drugs are a major factor with both the girls and the clients. We would always explain to the girls that the two most important things to remember when going on a date were to never go alone and never under the influence of any drugs or alcohol.

One girl, Amber, did not take our advice and ended up in a life threatening situation one evening. She was supposed to show up to a loft on East 23rd Street with another girl to entertain a group of firemen at a bachelor party. She showed up alone, extremely high and immediately demanded her fee up front, which was fine with the firemen. After they handed her the money she said she was going to leave and would return in an hour. I imagine that What have you been smoking? would’ve been any guy’s response, and the firemen would’ve agreed. They informed her she could leave the money and go, or keep the money and remain to do the show. Obviously, this was not going to work for her and the voice in her head that was screaming at her to go score some drugs.

Things got ugly really quickly. She drew a pocketknife out of her bag and pointed it at the firemen. I have no idea how she thought she was going to take on twenty firemen, but she lunged at one of them with the knife. They bent down, picked her up and tossed her into a black curtain hanging on the wall. Naturally enough, the curtain was covering the 2nd story window and they threw her right out of it. Amber ended up in the alley with a fractured skull, a broken arm and a punctured spleen. Unfortunately for our company, the incident became very public and consequently drew a tremendous amount of negative attention to our business. After being questioned and scrutinized by local vice and FBI, we decided it was in our best interest to close up shop.

I went to work for a man by the name of John Wilson, who was running an adult lounge inside the famous Show World Club on the corner of 42nd and 8th Avenue. Show World

Reviews for The Vault

[Llynn Taylor · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An interesting read. I visited the Vault about 8 times between 1988 - 1998, and found this a good inside view of the Happenings at the Club